


A Closeness

by RacetrackBatsman



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, M/M, Mutual Pining, outsiders perspective of a relationship, semi canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27143056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RacetrackBatsman/pseuds/RacetrackBatsman
Summary: Charles is an observant man. Despite his reputation he does understand and he won't say anything about what he observes between his fellow surgeons.
Relationships: B. J. Hunnicutt/Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce
Comments: 1
Kudos: 51





	A Closeness

He looked away most often. The war offered everyone little privacy and who was Charles to begrudge two men a moment of solace in the pretend privacy of their own tent? While Charles dragged a pen across a page, Pierce and Hunnicutt sat side by side curled over each other in quiet conversation. The usual mix of quiet giggles intermixed with muffled words were shared between the two men. If Charles did not know any better, they were planning something. Things had been quiet for a while so it would make sense the two would do this. Though perhaps, Charles thought casting a glance back, they need not sit so close to one another. It was not through malice that Charles thought this, nor was it entirely pragmatic; he just wanted the two men to be more aware of the way they looked to those that sat outside the camp. Not that there were any visitors at present. He cared for them and their quiet intimacy. Not that he would admit that. As it was, he never told a soul about his own feelings for the other members of this place. That knowledge would dampen his emotionless reputation, even if the rest of the camp had seen enough cracks during his time in this wretched place.

Charles couldn’t help but wonder if they even realised how they acted around each other in these moments. Perhaps to them their appearance fit with the war around them. They had the plausible deniability of needing some form of closeness in the absence of their own families. But this was closer than that. Charles knew he was rarely wrong when it came to his own observations. Besides, he knew what to look for when it came to hidden affections. He had his fare share of dalliances back in Boston while studying at Harvard. He knew the lengths people went to in order to mask their true feelings from the outside world.

Regardless, whatever was between Pierce and Hunnicutt was unspoken. Even between the two of them. Brought about by proximity if Charles were to hazard a guess. But it was there, invisible to most except those that knew what to look for. Corporal Klinger probably knew, and perhaps Major Houlihan. Though she would never show her cards and it could be hard to read her when it came to hiding other people’s secrets. Charles himself knew because he shared a space with the two men and had grown used to the way they had behaved in moments where they weren’t trying to make his life a living hell. It could be that they thought themselves below suspicion, that their thoughts were buried under layers of crude humour and practical jokes. Despite that there were the quiet moments. The moments between the rush where the war would momentarily fade into the background and Pierce and Hunnicutt would mould into each other’s spaces. It was those moments that Charles would look away and allow himself to become background furniture. Indistinguishable from the horrid green knit of the tent walls.

Pierce was very tactile. He was all limbs and movement and the need to touch. Perhaps to ground himself in a way, to prove things solid and real. On someone else Charles would suspect it as a claim to ownership; but Pierce was not one to do that. He would never claim any sort of ownership over another; even one who had claimed his own heart. It was not that he was only tactile with Hunnicutt, he was certainly tactile with most people in the camp, but the contact with Hunnicutt was always longer, softer, tighter. There was a physicality to Pierce’s affection that Charles had not seen with many others. Not that he had the best parents to base physical affections on; his parents do care for each other, but they certainly did not show it through soft touches and the need to be held. But Pierce was always connected to some part of Hunnicutt; his hand against the other man’s shoulder, his feet on the other man’s lap in the Swamp as they both were engaged in other tasks, the way Pierce would cradle Hunnicutt’s head with his hand when they hugged. There were the glancing touches as well when Pierce thought themselves unobserved. It was not all one way either. Pierce always lent into whatever touch he was offered. Needing some sort of contact to steady himself even if Hunnicutt offered it less than it was given.

It was not that Hunnicutt was less affectionate; he was just less physical in showing his affections. Showing his care with attention to detail and with small gifts. Making Pierce a gin after OR, getting the other man coffee made just right after a late shift, cleaning their space without disturbing it, remembering snippets of information that Pierce would share during one of his many sessions of running his mouth. It was endearing in a way. It was as if Hunnicutt had created a folder in his mind of all the things that would make Pierce happy. He was always helping the other man too. Sitting quietly and allowing himself to be used as a holder when Pierce was balling up a new thing of yarn before starting a new project. If anyone would deem a task to boring to help Pierce with, Hunnicutt certainly wouldn’t. Charles also noted Hunnicutt’s terrible jealous streak. It did not often leave their tent, but whenever a man named Trapper John was mention Hunnicutt became guarded and angry. Resentful of the man Pierce had spent his earlier time in Korea with. It was almost amusing watching the man wrestle with wanting to help Pierce while also not wanting to be around him during his moments of reminiscing.

Despite all this, nothing was said. Neither man would acknowledge what was going on between them; the feelings that lay just below the surface. Charles certainly was not going to be the one to bring it up even though he was sick of the two dancing around the obvious. It was not as though he could admit that he recognised different forms of repression. For goodness sake he was from Boston, his family were of wealth! If they knew half of his own feelings they would have disowned him when he was young. Perhaps it was seeing oneself in the other, watching a perfectly happy married man deny that he would feel anything for his fellow surgeon while constantly making sure that nothing would hurt the man; or watching Pierce float between nurses but keeping his softer moments for that same surgeon that showed him such care. It was unspoken. Neither wanted to break this strange dance but Charles couldn’t help but wonder what would happen after the war. When both men would lose the grounding that they had. They would have no ship to return to. Well perhaps Hunnicutt would return to his wife with no real change. There was no denying that Hunnicutt loved his wife. But there was no denying the plainness of his feelings for Pierce either. If it was possible for one man to love multiple people, then he proved it. Yet the two both pressed their feelings for each other down. One to not upset a woman back home whom he did love; and the other afraid that if he got to close then he would be rejected.

Yet they still danced this dance. Charles watched while politely looking away. He tallied each touch, each moment and filed it in his memory. One day perhaps he would ask, he would allow the curiosity to get the better of him. But for now he would ignore it. He would let Pierce and Hunnicutt play pretend at being friends while truly being much closer. Besides, it was war. Who was he to take any form of comfort away from his friends?

**Author's Note:**

> Well here we are. After loving M*A*S*H since I was young I've finally written a fic for it.   
> Breaking through creative block slowly!
> 
> Anyway, I love HunniHawk and I also really like Charles as a character and feel like he would be incredibly observant with what was happening within his tent. I'll write more eventually for this show because I love it dearly (Hopefully I'll get my grove back to and it'll be an improvement on this)!
> 
> Comments and feedback are always appreciated!


End file.
